Drink cover

ABSTRACT

A drink cover for covering an open top of a drink container is provided. The drink cover comprises a sheet made out of a pliable material having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outer edge configured to extend beyond the open top of the drink container. A plurality of peripheral weight members are attached to a periphery of the sheet such that opposite sides of the periphery are weighted substantially the same. A method of covering an open top of a drink container comprises the steps of positioning a drink cover over an open top of the drink container with the outer edge of the sheet extending beyond the open top of the drink container. Peripheral weight members weigh down the outer edge such that the lower surface of the sheet sits substantially flat against the open top of the drink container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of covers for a drink, and morespecifically to such covers for temporarily protecting the top surfaceof a drink container against bugs, dirt, dust, bacteria, and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A person enjoying a drink in the outdoors such as on a beach, in a park,or on a porch may often leave their unfinished drink unattended standingon a table while dealing with other matters or while their attention isdrawn into a conversation. During this time bugs, dirt, dust, sand, andbacteria are free to float or fly into the top of the drink containerand into the drink itself. When the person returns their attention totheir unfinished drink, their drink will have been contaminated andtherefore undrinkable.

For this reason, a person may wish to carry their drink with themwherever they go. This is undesirable, however, because it requires thatthe person pays constant attention to their drink so as not to spill itor to allow any free floating matter or bugs to fly into their drink.Oftentimes both hands of the person are occupied in protecting theirdrink: one hand to hold their drink and the other to cover the top ofthe drink container so as not to allow any matter to fly into the top ofthe drink container or to swat away flies and other bugs from gettinginto her drink. This solution to preventing matter from contaminating aperson's drink is frequently impractical. A person will often have needof both hands in order to go to the bathroom, make food, play outdoorsports, etc. making it frustrating and difficult to continuously swataway bugs or to otherwise use one's hands to prevent matter from beingcarried into one's drink by the wind.

It is therefore desirable to have some sort of cover to temporarilyprotect the open top of a drink container while one leaves itunattended. The cover would prevent floating matter such as dust andsand, and flying bugs from entering the open top of the drink container,and in that way, prevent the drink from being contaminated. Furthermore,such a cover would allow a person to leave their drink unattended whilehaving both hands free to attend to other activities.

A person might use a readily available object with a flat surface suchas a coaster or piece of paper as a temporary cover for their drink.However, this solution is undesirable for many reasons. A person needsto search for a usable object with a flat surface and of a suitable sizeto fit over the open top of the particular drink container they areusing, which may not always be on hand. Even if an object with a flatsurface is found, it must be of a suitable size for fitting over theopen top of the drink container, and furthermore, must be able to formsomewhat of a seal between the flat surface and the open top of thedrink container. If such an object is found, once the object is inplace, it may still be necessary to pay attention to the drink, as aslight breeze could easily blow the object off of the top of the drinkcontainer if the object is not properly weighted down, leaving the drinkonce again open to contamination. A desire to have a temporary drinkcover that fits over the open top of a drink container and can formsomewhat of a seal between the temporary drink cover and the open top ofthe drink container, and that is also properly weighted so as not to bebrushed off the top of the drink container by a slight breeze istherefore reasonable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drink cover thatovercomes problems in the prior art.

In an embodiment, a drink cover for covering an open top of a drinkcontainer comprises a sheet made out of a pliable material having anupper surface, a lower surface, and an outer edge, the outer edgeconfigured to extend beyond the open top of the drink container. Aplurality of peripheral weight members are attached to a periphery ofthe sheet such that opposite sides of the periphery of the sheet areweighted substantially the same.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of covering anopen top of a drink container comprises the steps of providing a drinkcover having a sheet made out of a pliable material having an uppersurface, a lower surface, and an outer edge, and a plurality ofperipheral weight members attached to a periphery of the sheet. Thedrink cover is positioned over an open top of the drink container withthe outer edge of the sheet extending beyond the open top of the drinkcontainer. The peripheral weights weigh down the outer edge of the sheetsuch that the lower surface of the sheet sits substantially flat againstthe open top of the drink container.

The drink cover blocks bugs and dust, sand, and other matter suspendedin the air from entering through the open top of the drink container andinto the drink. This allows one to temporarily leave their drinkunattended while attending to other matters without having their drinkcontaminated by airborne bugs and particles. The drink cover isfurthermore able to be used over a variety of drink containers,including cups and cans, and is maintenance-free once set in place,making it a quick and easy method of allowing a person to leave theirdrink completely and have both hands free to attend to other activities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof,preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detaileddescription which may be best understood in conjunction with theaccompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagramsare labeled with like numbers, and where:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a drink cover in an aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the drink cover shown in FIG. 1placed over the open top of a drink container;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the drink cover shown in FIG. 1along sectional lines AA′;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a drink cover with a rectangular outer edge; and

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a drink cover with peripheralweights extending beyond the outer edge of the sheet of the drink cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate a drink cover 10 in an embodiment of thepresent invention. Drink cover 10 has a base of uniform cross sectionconsisting of a pliable sheet of material 20. Sheet 20 is defined by anupper surface 22, a lower surface 24, and an outer edge 26. Sheet 20 ofthe drink cover 10 is unperforated or has pore spaces that are generallyso small as to prevent bugs, dust, sand and other airborne particlesfrom passing therethrough. In one embodiment, the sheet 20 is made up oftulle. However, the material of the sheet 20 may be varied and selectedsuitably depending on what is esthetically most pleasing.

Sheet 20 is circular in an embodiment, however, it is anticipated thatouter edge 26 may be given a geometrical configuration more closelyresembling a rectangle so as to be more esthetically pleasing to theeye. Other geometrical shapes are also possible.

Sheet 20 of the drink cover 10 has a number of peripheral weight members32 and 34 attached thereto. Around the periphery of sheet 20 near outeredge 26 are peripheral weight members 32 and 34. Peripheral weightmembers 32 and 34 are placed such that the opposite sides of the sheet20 at any point along the outer edge 26 are similarly weighted.Peripheral weight members 32 and 34 are typically beads or gems so as tobe esthetically pleasing to the eye. Peripheral weight members 32 and 34are of sufficient weight so as to be able to ply the sheet 20 downwardover the rim 52 of a drink container 50 when the peripheral weightmembers 32 and 34 are extended beyond the rim 52 of the drink container50.

It is anticipated that there may be more or less peripheral weightmembers 32 and 34 as is needed to sufficiently weigh down the drinkcover 10. The number of peripheral weight members 32 and 34 is dependenton the size and weight of the drink cover 10. It is further anticipatedthat the peripheral weight members 32 and 34 could comprise first andsecond weight members 32 and 34 wherein the first weight members 32 arespaced equidistant along the periphery of the sheet 20 and the secondweight members 34 are spaced equidistant along the periphery of thesheet 20. The first and second weight members will typically bedifferent gems or beads or combinations thereof, and have differentweights. Equally spacing the weight members of different weights aboutthe periphery of the sheet 20 results in the opposite sides of the sheet20 at any point along the outer edge 26 being similarly weighted.

Alternatively, the peripheral weight members 32 and 34 could comprisefirst, second and third weight members with the first and second weightmembers having substantially the same weight and the third weight memberhaving a different weights. Either one of the first and second weightmembers could be equidistantly interspersed along the periphery, sincethey have the same weight, and the third weight members could be spacedequidistant along the periphery, again resulting in opposite sides ofthe sheet 20 at any point along the outer edge 26 being equallyweighted.

To use the drink cover 10, a drink 55 contained in the drink container50 is provided. The drink cover 10 is placed over the open top of thedrink container 50 allowing the drink cover 10 to rest on the rim 52 ofthe drink container 50 and such that the drink cover 10 covers theentire area of the open top of the drink container 50 with the entireouter edge 26 of the drink cover 10 extending beyond the rim 52 of thedrink container 50. The peripheral weight members 32 and 34 weigh downthe outer edge 26 of the drink cover 10 such that the lower surface 24of the drink cover 10 sits substantially flat against the rim 52 of thedrink container 50, forming somewhat of a seal between the lower surface24 of the drink cover and the rim 52 of the drink container.

The drink cover 10 blocks bugs and dust, sand, and other mattersuspended in the air from entering through the open top of the drinkcontainer 50 and into the drink 55. This allows one to temporarily leavetheir drink 55 unattended while attending to other matters withouthaving their drink 55 contaminated by airborne bugs and particles.

To remove the drink cover 10, one simply lifts the drink cover 10 off ofthe rim 52 of the drink container 50, and sets the drink cover 10 asideto be reused.

FIG. 4 illustrates a drink cover 110 with a rectangular outer edge 126.It is anticipated that the sheet 120 can have other shapes such as oval,triangular, trapezoidal, etc. and that the sheet 120 may be made withother materials such as plastic or woven fabric. It is furtheranticipated that there may be any number of different types ofperipheral weight members 132 on the same sheet 120, so long as eachpoint along the outer edge 126 has an opposite side that is similarlyweighted thereto.

FIG. 5 illustrates a drink cover 210 in a further aspect with peripheralweight members 232 that extend beyond the outer edge 226 of the sheet220. It is anticipated that peripheral weight members 232 may beornamental beads or gems to be esthetically pleasing to the eye.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous changes and modifications willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or modificationsin structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fallwithin the scope of the claimed invention.

1. What is claimed is: A drink cover for covering an open top of a drinkcontainer, the drink cover comprising: a sheet made out of a pliablematerial having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outer edge,the outer edge configured to extend beyond the open top of the drinkcontainer; a plurality of peripheral weight members attached to aperiphery of the sheet; wherein opposite sides of the periphery of thesheet are weighted substantially the same.
 2. The drink cover of claim 1wherein the peripheral weight members comprise first and second weightmembers wherein the first weight members are spaced equidistant alongthe periphery and the second weight members are spaced equidistant alongthe periphery.
 3. The drink cover of claim 1 wherein the peripheralweight members comprise first, second, and third weight members and thefirst and second weight members have substantially the same weight andthe third weight member has a different weight, and wherein either oneof the first and second weight members are equidistantly interspersedalong the periphery and the third weight members are spaced equidistantalong the periphery.
 4. The drink cover of claim 1 wherein theperipheral weights extend beyond the outer edge of the sheet.
 5. Thedrink cover of claim 1 wherein the outer edge of the sheet has acircular geometric configuration.
 6. The drink cover of claim 1 whereinthe outer edge has a rectangular geometric configuration.
 7. The drinkcover of claim 1 wherein the peripheral weights comprise at least one ofbeads and gems.
 8. The drink cover of claim 1 wherein the pliablematerial of the sheet is tulle.
 9. A method of covering an open top of adrink container, the method comprising the steps of: providing a drinkcover having: a sheet made out of a pliable material having an uppersurface, a lower surface, and an outer edge; and a plurality ofperipheral weight members attached to a periphery of the sheet andarranged such that opposite sides of the periphery of the sheet areweighted substantially the same; positioning the drink cover over anopen top of the drink container with the outer edge of the sheetextending beyond the open top of the drink container; and wherein theperipheral weights weigh down the outer edge of the sheet such that thelower surface of the sheet sits substantially flat against the open topof the drink container.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the peripheralweight members comprise first and second weight members wherein thefirst weight members are spaced equidistant along the periphery and thesecond weight members are spaced equidistant along the periphery. 11.The method of claim 9 wherein the peripheral weight members comprisefirst, second, and third weight members and the first and second weightmembers have substantially the same weight and the third weight memberhas a different weight, and wherein either one of the first and secondweight members are equidistantly interspersed along the periphery andthe third weight members are spaced equidistant along the periphery. 12.The method of claims 9 wherein the peripheral weights extend beyond theouter edge of the sheet.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein the outeredge of the sheet has a circular geometric configuration.
 14. The methodof claims 9 wherein the outer edge has a rectangular geometricconfiguration.
 15. The method of claim 9 wherein the peripheral weightscomprise at least one of beads and gems.
 16. The method of claim 9wherein the material of the sheet is tulle.